Chapter 20

Arthur Vandenburg was pleased. The Fields' disappearance/murder/extortion case had seized most of the headlines. The rest remained with the Black Lives Matter activists. Matt Stevens death would not captivate the public—who really cared about a dead safecracker? Many would think he got what was coming to him and move on. With the passage of time, he felt confident about resuming the burglary scheme. In any case, his colleagues were pushing for operations to begin again.

Leaning back in his comfortable chair, he considered replacement candidates. Despite what the movies portrayed, most burglars were not professional at all. They ranged from inept to drug addicted and everywhere in between. Skilled safecrackers were even harder to find. With reluctance, Arthur admitted to himself that Matt Stevens was not expendable and would be difficult to replace.

Still, he needed to make a selection. Vandenburg had a wide circle of acquaintances and a small group of capable candidates had been recommended. Arthur set up discreet interviews with each person. His gut instinct would make the final call, as always.

Detective Jones continued his investigation into Vandenburg’s known associates. The elites usually have a wide circle of friends, so the task was time consuming.

Another team worked on the financial aspect of the case. The burglary proceeds had to go somewhere, and their job was to trace it. Unfortunately, Arthur and his friends had plenty of investments and assets. There were many holes for lost dollars to fall into and be laundered without being noticed. For all the progress made on the Fields investigation, the Stevens/Vandenburg case proceeded at an agonizingly slow pace.